5 Oct 2024. My saturdate today, my nephew (Hector) and I visited CANVAS’ Tumba-Tumba Children’s Museum. It is currently still under construction, but partially accessible. It is a compound, and outdoor museum of 8 monumental artworks, playfully designed architecture, and greens— trees, and plants and flowers and grass.
When they announced the art biennial earlier this year that will soft launch the museum, I was really excited. I made plans with friends to make sure I get to see it. Unfortunately, my body had other plans… hospital dazed. But because it’s too good not to experience, today, I made time. It was supposedly a group tour, but you know, things happened. Nephew said, let’s go anyway, just us! Go we went :)
I’m privy to the dreams/ ambitions of this museum, as the proponents made it public in their exhibitions at the UP Vargas Museum and UP Fine Arts Gallery in the past years. But talking about what structure or artwork will be here and there when we were actually onsite adds to the amazement!
We were received by Earl, who mans the grounds. He gave us info about the artworks that were there, how it was during the biennial, and as mentioned, the plans for the future. And the whole time my nephew was just quietly listening and following us around.
As soon as we got back in the car, Hector started mentioning things that “might be nice to include in the museum”. He said a number of things, but my fave was when he said: they should consider doing a sensory exhibit (his exact words)… I asked what he meant by that… he continued: “you know because kids, especially those with autism, they respond to sound, feel, interaction.” This opinion matters to me in so many levels— I didn’t know he actually remembers or cares that I work with children with disabilities; it is an opinion from a child (he’s 5’7 but he’s only 16); and I just discovered how much he already knows (he used to be just a baby, like just yesterday).
We spent the rest of the afternoon running errands. When I got home, he sent me a list of recommendations… those in [brackets] are my annotations based on his later additional explanations:
[additional things he’d add if he's the artist:]
Anti-Monument
- add sculpture of people interlocking elbow to represent solidarity of activists
- red paint and/or red ribbons to show their sacrifice or the lose of life from war
Wishing Well
- use white stones to make a star shape for the well making it a point of hope
Turtle
- smaller turtle or turtle eggs
- small flowers
Tree Huggers
- flowering vines
- makes it more rooted
[list of inspirations]
children
literacy
open air
climate change
environment
filipino literature
human rights
culture
[suggested additional installations]
1. Sensory Room (Installation)
2. Footprint
[he explained this as literal footprints of historical people, accompanied by stories about them; “following their footsteps”]
3. Angled sculpture
[he explained: optical art (he got the term wrong, but his explanation makes sense) for environmental themes, to make the artwork more intertwined with nature— same effect as Geraldine Javier’s work]
To continue thinking about a museum visit, after the visit; to continue processing the experience, way after being busy with something else, this much reminded me of how I fell in love with Museo Pambata in 1994. This was a very long time ago, but one that I will never forget. (I even published an article about this in a magazine, since I have no auntie who’d listen hehe!).
Going back to Hector, he might not be a child anymore when this museum is finally completed, but I am so sure that just like my experience with Museo Pambata, since he processed the experience this much, the experience’s impact will be lifelong. In my case, it was so lifelong, because I ended up designing the curatorial plan for MP during their 25th anniversary.
This visit to Tumba-Tumba was a short 40 mins tour… but I must say, it was all worth the 4 hours travel (2-way).
Congrats to the artists. Thanks Gigo, J and Earl. Thank you, CANVAS.
[sharing this publicly with Hector's permission].